Joint Commission announces voluntary health equity certification for hospitals

The Joint Commission is kicking off a new advanced, voluntary certification for hospitals with processes in place to address healthcare disparities and promote equity among staff, the accreditation organization announced this week (Source: “Joint Commission unveils voluntary health equity certification, strengthens existing standard,” Fierce Healthcare, June 28).
 
Effective July 1, hospitals and critical access hospitals accredited by the organization or in compliance with applicable federal laws will be able to apply for the group’s Health Care Equity Certification Program. An abbreviated pre-application questionnaire may be submitted prior to July 1.
 
The Joint Commission has also launched a curated resource center for organizations seeking to pursue the certification, which includes strategies, toolkits, templates, videos and synopses of the requirements.